Standard Chartered Bank will host the 19th edition of the Stanchart marathon in Nairobi on the 31st of October. The event which is majorly meant for charitable contributions had to be canceled last year for the first time in 17 years. The Pandemic took its toll and organizers had to push the event forward to a later date.
This year's edition will however be unique in the sense that a hybrid format of the marathon is set to be adapted. There will be a physical marathon that is limited to 2,500 selected elite local and international runners.
The virtual marathon on the other hand will have roughly 13,500 participants run alongside the elite pack from wherever they are. Executive Officer Kariuki Ngari said that they decided to include the virtual set up so as to fully accommodate the large number of runners who aren't able to access the event due to covid restrictions. Members of the public who wish to participate are required to register on the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon's (SCNM) website with a fixed fee of Ksh 1000.
Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei also said that elite athletes will be selected from the organization's database, training camps and past marathons in the country. For the international squad, cut off times for entry into the 42km race will be; Men at 2hrs 7 mins, women at 2hrs 30 mins.
Rewards that are set upon completion of the races include Strava app virtual badges, slots for physical warm up races, Strava premium subscriptions for a year, shopping vouchers and Liverpool FC merchandise. The event will be held on Nairobi's Southern Bypass, Carnivore Grounds being the flag off point.